Students looking for Christian colleges in Pennsylvania have many options to choose from.
There are more than 50 Christian colleges in Pennsylvania alone. Here is a list of 19 of the most recognized and notable schools.
Pennsylvania boasts an impressive number of great cities comfortable to live in and attend any of these Christian colleges near you.
Additionally, if you’re looking to attend a school where faith plays an important role in education then these Christian colleges in Pennsylvania might be perfect for you.
Let’s dive in:
The List of Most Recognized Christian Colleges in Pennsylvania
- Muhlenberg College, Allentown
- Allegheny College, Meadville
- Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove
- Messiah University, Mechanicsburg
- Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown
- Lebanon Valley College, Annville
- Geneva College, Beaver Falls
- Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster
- Westminster College, New Wilmington
- Lafayette College, Easton
Muhlenberg College, Allentown
- Net Tuition Price: $35,152 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 62 percent.
- SAT Range: 1170 – 1350.
Muhlenberg College is a private Christian college situated in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded by Reverend Frederick Muhlenberg in 1848, this college has been part of the Lutheran tradition for nearly two centuries.
Muhlenberg offers many different undergraduates and graduate programs from which students can choose, including music education and counseling psychology.
You can also select from a variety of degree concentrations to find the one that suits your particular interests or career objectives best.
There are several hallmarks of being recognized as a Christian college in Pennsylvania. Some faith-based schools offer only traditional liberal arts degrees, while others feature specialized curricula geared toward preparing students for careers in business or other professional fields.
Still, others have an interdisciplinary focus on subjects like environmental policy or international relations.
Although each Christian college may vary slightly in these details—and other criteria such as accreditation status and student population size—they share similar goals: helping their students develop academically while also strengthening their relationship with Christ through prayer sessions led by campus pastors during chapel services held twice per week (or more).
Offering opportunities for community worship services on campus provides another way to support spiritual growth among students at these institutions.
Allegheny College, Meadville
- Net Tuition Price: $26,376 (per semester)
- Acceptance Rate: 73 percent
- SAT Range: 1140 – 1350
Allegheny College is located in the beautiful city of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Allegheny is a Christian college in Pennsylvania with just about 2,100 students.
However, the student-to-teacher ratio is 9:1, making it one of the most personal schools in the country. Allegheny has a 73 percent acceptance rate making it a fairly easy Christian college in Pennsylvania to get into.
For example, a few years ago, it was recorded that only 1,517 out of 2,570 applicants were admitted into the school; making Allegheny a moderately competitive school to get into with a strong chance of acceptance if you meet the requirements.
Academically, Allegheny College has extremely high requirements for admission test scores and GPAs. If your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are within the school’s average ranges, then there is a good chance you’ll be accepted as Allegheny accepts 73 percent of the students who apply for admission.
An average ACT score composite at Allegheny College is between 26-30 and an average SAT score composite at Allegheny College is between 1140-1350.
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove
- Net Tuition Price: $26,597 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 73 percent.
- SAT Range: 1020 – 1230.
With over 50 areas of study, including majors in biology, sustainable energy and the environment, healthcare management, neuroscience, and more, Susquehanna University offers something for everyone.
In addition to traditional majors and minors at the undergraduate level, students also have the opportunity to create their own individualized major or minor.
Sophomore students may even apply for a pre-professional track which guarantees them an acceptance into one of five graduate professions: medicine/pre-medicine, law/pre-law studies, occupational therapy (OT), pharmacy (PH), or physical therapy (PT).
The school also provides an intensive study program with several partner schools across the world where students can spend their junior year studying abroad.
With that said, Susquehanna University is easily one of the most recognized Christian colleges in Pennsylvania.
It is home to six academic colleges: social sciences; humanities; business; science and engineering; health sciences; music and theatre arts.
Within these colleges are unique programs such as the “Great Books” program which helps students develop skills in critical thinking by reading many different types of literature throughout their four years at university.
Another notable program is called “The Diplomacy Program” which teaches students about international relations through global crisis simulation games using real-life situations from past years.
Students can also choose from multiple honors programs that are designed to provide challenging courses on top of regular coursework.
Students at Susquehanna University are encouraged to be active members of their community both on-campus and off-campus through various clubs and organizations that fit their interests.
Students can join fraternities or sororities like Alpha Delta Pi or Phi Sigma Kappa or they can participate in other religious-based organizations like the Catholic Student Association or Hillel Jewish Student Center.
Messiah University, Mechanicsburg
- Net Tuition Price: $27,641 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 78 percent.
- SAT Range: 1080 – 1310.
Another recognizable Christian college in Pennsylvania is the reputable Messiah University. The university is located in Mechanicsburg, PA.
It offers degrees in various fields of study and has a total student enrollment of 3,011. Messiah has consistently been ranked as one of the best colleges in the area by U.S News & World Report.
Messiah University also accepts students from all religious backgrounds but does require that students be respectful of Christian beliefs and practices as these are practiced on campus.
Tuition at Messiah University is approximately $28,000 per semester for undergraduate students with approximately 69% receiving some form of financial aid.
Messiah offers a unique academic program called the “Great Commission Scholarship” which provides half-tuition scholarships to 25 incoming freshmen each year who are committed to living out their Christian faith through ministry or service projects during their four years at Messiah University.
Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown
- Net Tuition Price: $25,767 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 86 percent.
- SAT Range: 1080 – 1280.
Elizabethtown College is a Christian college in Pennsylvania. Their student body of approximately 1,900 students comes from 42 states and 22 countries.
They offer over 60 undergraduate programs, including a BA in Music with a concentration in Performance and a BS in Nursing.
The cost of attendance for the 2016-2017 academic year was $42,090 for tuition and fees and $15,700 for room and board. The average financial aid package awarded to all students was $30,089, per the school’s website.
The college has several Christian ministries that are open to all students regardless of their religious affiliation.
Campus worship services are held twice per week at Steinman College Center with participation by local churches helping to provide leadership as well as locations for small group gatherings and Bible studies on campus.
Lebanon Valley College, Annville
- Net Tuition Price: $27,963 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 78 percent.
- SAT Range: 1070 – 1260.
Lebanon Valley College is a private institution that was founded in 1866. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of over 1,600 students.
Its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 334 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. In addition, Lebanon Valley College is typically ranked as one of the best Christian colleges in Pennsylvania.
The college’s strong liberal arts foundation extends across more than 50 majors in humanities, social and natural sciences, pre-professional programs, as well as numerous graduate programs, including physician assistant studies and physical therapy.
This Christian college in Pennsylvania provides an education based on excellence in the liberal arts and sciences that incorporates multiple perspectives on the human condition through rigorous inquiry into ideas and issues.
The faculty integrates research activities with teaching to ensure a focus on exploration within their classrooms and beyond campus walls.
Geneva College, Beaver Falls
- Net Tuition Price: $19,967 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 73 percent.
- SAT Range: 1020 – 1240.
How you see yourself, as well as how others see you, can be shaped by your choice of educational institutions.
That’s why Geneva College has such a strong Christian foundation—so that students can engage in academics, athletics, and other activities while also getting all the spiritual nurture they need to grow into successful Christian leaders.
The college was founded in 1848 by John Black Johnston, and the school is deeply rooted in American history and is recognized for its excellence in Human Resource Studies.
Geneva is a Christian college in Pennsylvania known for its theological expositions of the Christian religion. Equally, it is by far, the cheapest Christian college in Pennsylvania to enroll your kids into.
Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster
- Net Tuition Price: $20,736 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 97 percent.
- SAT Range: 980 – 1200.
Located in the town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, you can find the small private institution of Lancaster Bible College.
This Christian college in Pennsylvania was founded in 1933 with the mission to prepare students spiritually and academically for a fulfilling career.
With an enrollment size of around 1,700 undergraduates, there are over 60 areas of study offered through the college’s five schools (Theology and Ministry; Science and Psychology; Business and Communication; Education and Social Sciences; Humanities).
With an estimated student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1, there is always plenty of opportunity for one-on-one assistance with your academic pursuits. Forbes Magazine once named Lancaster Bible College as America’s Best Value College – Christian Colleges & Universities.
Students at LBC have the option to major in fields offered through 14 different departments ranging from Biology (Bachelor) to Youth Ministry (Associate).
Some specific examples include Intercultural Studies, International Business Management, and Spanish/English Translation.
Other available Bachelor’s degrees include Christian Counseling, Communication Arts – Integrated Media, Communication Arts – Radio Broadcasting/Production, Criminal Justice, English, Health Care Administration, Mathematics, Nursing – RN Completion program, Pastoral Ministries, and TESOL. In addition, Lancaster Bible College is a Christian college in Pennsylvania that has the highest acceptance rate of students, significantly more than any other Christian college in Pennsylvania on this list. This means that you are more likely to get into LBC than any other Christian college in Pennsylvania.
Westminster College, New Wilmington
- Net Tuition Price: $21,735 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 67 percent.
- SAT Range: 970 – 1180.
Westminster College is a private Christian college in Pennsylvania. Founded in 1852, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.
The school has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,400. Some of the majors you can study at Westminster include finance and communication studies. Most students who attend this school are from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York.
The community at Westminster College is all about making connections with your professors and peers.
They will attend chapel services regularly throughout the week and participate in campus ministry activities through their student organizations or sororities.
Lafayette College, Easton
- Net Tuition Price: $21,101 (per semester).
- Acceptance Rate: 67 percent.
- SAT Range: 1250 – 1440.
Lafayette College is a private liberal art and Christian college in Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter, and the citizens of Easton, the school first held classes in 1832.
The founders voted to name the school after General Lafayette, who famously toured the country in 1824–25 at the invitation and cost of Congress.
Located on College Hill in Easton, the campus is approximately 70 miles west of New York City and 60 miles north of Philadelphia.
It occupies 119 acres bordering March Field and Williams Hall on Colton Avenue (the main road up College Hill). South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is formerly known as “Southside”, historic downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus are directly across the Lehigh River from campus.
A few blocks from downtown Easton to the south is also located at Moravian College’s Monroe Campus.
Honorable Mentions
Furthermore, we have included some more Christian colleges in Pennsylvania that you will find worthwhile (in case you didn’t find any from our list of top ten Christian colleges in Pennsylvania).
These five Christian colleges in Pennsylvania are also among some of the highly-rated schools in the state.
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that was founded in 1900. It has high rankings for engineering and computer science programs and it also offers a diverse selection of degree programs including finance, literature, drama, and biomedical engineering. With over 13,000 students enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University, the school also has smaller class sizes with a 12:1 student to faculty ratio.
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740. The school currently serves roughly 25,000 students and is ranked among the top 10 colleges in the nation. With more than half of its students going on to receive graduate degrees after their undergraduate studies are complete, UPenn provides a variety of opportunities for learning and growth while remaining committed to its values as a private Ivy League institution. UPenn, though secular, has a strong religious life with its Hillel for Jewish students, Penn Newman Catholic Center, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
- Moravia College, Bethlehem
Moravian College is another Christian college in Pennsylvania that is worth mentioning. Although it is not a famous option for liberal arts study in the United States, it is a good choice for those who find themselves in the city of Bethlehem and Pennsylvania, as a whole. The school has an acceptance rate of 76 percent, meaning that it is not exactly difficult to get into. If you do not fall way below average in your application, then you have a decent of making it into the Moravian campus.
- Eastern University, St. Davids
Eastern University is a Christian college in Pennsylvania that is dedicated to incubating its students in the Christian foundational principles through teaching, scholarships, and theology. The EU will equally make a decent choice for Christian colleges in Pennsylvania if this is what you are looking for.
- Grove City College, Grove City
Grove City College is one of the reputable Christian colleges in Pennsylvania. It is a school dedicated to laying Christian foundations in its students through its teaching. Furthermore, it is one of the Christian colleges in Pennsylvania that is easy to get into.
10 Best Christian Colleges in Pennsylvania
As Stated by academicinfluence.com, in this ranking list of best Christian colleges and universities, a school must self-identify as Christian, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degree programs.
- Villanova University
- Duquesne University
- Lafayette College
- Gannon University
- La Salle University
- Saint Joseph’s University
- University of Scranton
- Grove City College
- Eastern University
- Chestnut Hill College
Check out other 44 Christian colleges in Pennsylvania.
Wrapping It Up
As you can see, there are quite a few options for Christian colleges in Pennsylvania.
All of these schools have a strong religious component, whether it’s from the school itself or the student body.
However, keep in mind that many other Christian colleges in Pennsylvania aren’t on this list.
As much as some applicants may wish to consider religion as their only factor when deciding on a college or university, it should be just one piece of the puzzle along with all other factors that help make up your overall college decision.